Is Bernies "compassion" for the people more fiction than fact?

[beachbum bob]

For all the rhetoric sanders says on how much we need to help and give to those at the bottom does HE personally follow what he preaches? Does Bernie and Jane actually help to those at the bottom? The only measure we have is from their 2014 tax return as we still wait on others to be released...in 2014 they gave 4% of the gross income of approx $200,000 as charitable contributions.....something near $8,000. Thats looks like a lot of money but it certain does not reflect the level you would expect to see from some one who advocates such "compassion" for people and how everybody else needs to help out.

Matter of fact, 4% is just just AVERAGE. Nothing special, nothing that indicates Bernie is this great empathizer and helper of the down trodden.....the underclass...those who need help...and they didn't get much from bernie at all...

Comparatively speaking, the Obamas gave 15% of their income to charity, nearly $70,000
Clintons gave just under $15 million over the eight-year period, which is 10.8 percent of their total income...
George W Bush average 10% charitable contributions every year he was president
Looking at our tax returns, we average over 9% from an gross income of just under a $100,000...my wife and I gave more than what Bernies Sanders did....

Obviously Bernie Sanders actions don't come close to the levels of others and certainly doesn't rise to meet the level of his rhetoric where he wants others give more.

[Eric J in MN]

1. If George W. Bush gave a lot to charity

...would that outweigh his career?

[beachbum bob]

4. nope but as a matter of reference for making charitble contributions it clearly shows bernie

is no better than average....considering his tone for what he wants others to do....it appears he lags behind by a very large factor


the old do what I say, the not as I do mentality

[Eric J in MN]

8. I don't understand why one politician

...should be primarily judged on his career and another on his donations to charity.

I judge Bernue Sanders on his career of fighting for ordinary people, and George W. Bush on his career of helping the rich.

[rjsquirrel]

10. What had Bernie actually accomplished

in his illustrious "career?"

Not much, and not nearly as much as Hillary.

[DrDan]

13. that's not fair - he was successful in the renaming of two post offices - a significant effort

and he has 1 senate endorsement to prove it

[MFM008]

16. ouch

[JDPriestly]

2. How much you give to charity is no measure of your compassion.

A lot of people get tax deductions for giving to "charity" when they are actually giving to their church. Most of the money to the church goes to the upkeep of the building, the payment of expenses and salary of the pastor(s), the organization at higher levels of the religion. Very little goes to help the poor.

And many people don't take tax deductions for all the charity they give.

The OP relies on a lot of assumptions about measuring compassion and charity that are false.

In certain religions, people tithe. But the money goes to the church, and often not much of it goes to what you can seriously call charity or the needy or poor.

I have to add that Bernie's defense of programs that help the poor and especially veterans in Congress is worth far more than a larger percentage of his income deducted for donations to charitable organizations would be worth.]

He may not want some of his gifts to become political footballs. If a member of Congress gives to things like Planned Parenthood or other controversial charities, it is understandable that he or she does not particularly want to itemize those gifts as deductions. I'm not saying that Bernie does that. But if, for instance, Jane gives to the Catholic Church or charities, Bernie and Jane might decide not to deduct those donations for political reasons. Same if Bernie gives to certain Jewish charities, he might prefer to do that anonymously. I'm not saying they do that, but I could understand it if they did.

Your donations mean more if you have a higher income. So the Clintons of course itemize their charitable donations.

It's not all apples. Sometimes it is apples and oranges and people can have very personal reasons for doing what they do.

[beachbum bob]

11. really?

not a measure...so Bristol Palin's out of wedlock pregnancy isn't a measure of her hypocritical of advocating abstinence only??

[PatrickforO]

3. No.

Like me, he believes that OUR tax dollars that WE pay in to OUR government OF, BY and FOR US the people, should be used for programs that genuinely make our lives better.

And you know what?

I'd rather have that by a hell of a long shot than Bernie giving another couple thousand to charity.

Gotta call bullshit on your post.

[msongs]

6. is that why he spends so many billions on the war machine? how does lockheed make our lives better?

[Live and Learn]

5. My tax return shows nothing for charity and yet I can guarantee you I donate more than most.

I donate to real people not tax shelters and money making schemes that people set up for their relatives but real charity isn't tax deductible.

[beachbum bob]

7. thats not our problem I'm just using taxes as a sign of giving and those who itemize use it

bernie uses it, obama uses it, I use it

and if you give to recognized charities like we do you can take the deduction...and we give to our local food shelters and local charities and our church....

[Live and Learn]

18. And if you check out most of those charities you will find they subsidize those that don't need it

and do little for those that do. But you just go ahead and take your tax break and be proud of it while real people suffer.

[highprincipleswork]

9. Some Progressives just don't know a good thing when they see it. Trying to squander one of their

best chances to seat a truly Progressive President unlike any other time in their lifetimes.

[Scootaloo]

19. What progressives are those?

[Petrushka]

12. Believe it or not: Some people never include their charitable contributions in their tax deductions

Therefore, isn't it possible Sanders sometimes doesn't let his left hand know what his right hand is doing?






Matthew 6:2-5King James Version (KJV)

2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

[DrDan]

17. he did include 4%, however ... didn't he

[Fuddnik]

14. Is your curiosity more fiction than fact?

[DrDan]

15. probably why we are not seeing 2015 - perhaps less? That would be embarrassing.

[Fumesucker]

20. Swiftboating, it's not just for Republicans any more